Afternoon Tea: Canada – U.S. News Wrap

By Keith Edmund White, Editor-in-Chief

Enjoy some mid-afternoon tea, and read about Canada and the TPP, Canada & energy, Ottawa's political misfires, just what the Governor-General does, and DHS cracks down on moose poachers.

Canada and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).  While Canada joined the TPP as an observer in October, but the ongoing 15th round of negotiations is the first to include Canada and Mexico.  The main focus of the talks, according to Western Farm Press, are sanitary and phyto-sanitary standards [or "food safety and animal and plant health measures"]:

Sanitary and phyto-sanitary (SPS) issues will be the real market access determiners in the talks.  Commitments need to go beyond those made under the WTO, often referred to as ‘WTO-plus’.  The USTR may propose new language making SPS disciplines fully enforceable, including those that go beyond WTO rules.  If they would not be enforceable under TPP dispute settlement, they would not be settled at the WTO because they would be stricter than WTO requirements.

But the National Hog Farmer highlights challenges to Canada’s pork subsidization program:

NPPC President R.C. Hunt added: “In reality, we cannot compete on a level playing field. In the upcoming TPP round, you can bet your bottom dollar we will be putting pressure on Canada to do something about its pork subsidy programs.”   

Canada Energy Updates.  Mondaq delivers, per usual, a helpful primer on Canadian energy updates prepared by Doug Black et al from Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP.  I particularly recommend checking out the On the Horizon section that shows fascinating work to both cut the amount of water used in oil sands energy development and lower GHG emissions from CNRL natural gas production.  Two additions worth mentioning: 

• Prime Minister Harper finalized federal loan support, to the tune of $1 billion (CAN), to support a hydro-megaproject in the provinces of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador.  Learn more about the project, and Quebec complaints over the loan, from the Winnipeg Free Press.

• Read from Fuel Fix, reporting on a Manhattan Institute event, on why a strong Canada-U.S. energy relationship, along with Mexico, may just turn the energy market on its head.  Notable panelist:  John Prato, Consul General of Canada in New York.

Misfire Alert:  Conservatives Over-Shoot on Trudeau Alberta Comments, Trudeau Returns (Mis-)Fire On Canada’s Long Gun Registry.  Conservatives kinda-sorta-but-not really plan to drag Justin Trudeau before a parliamentary committee because of poorly chosen words on Alberta and the Progressive Conservative Party.  But, don’t worry, while this move was derided by pretty much everyone, Justin Trudeau shot himself in the foot again—over not resurrecting Canada’s long gun registry.

Governor General David Johnston’s “Invisible” But Important Role in Canadian Trade Policy.  The Globe and Mail offered a fantastic piece last week focusing on the evolving role of Canada’s Governor-General.  (For American readers, the Governor General is the acting head of State of Canada).  Not only does this article show the unique nature of Canada’s constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy, it shows a fascinating dimension of Canadian foreign policy—and something alien to the American experience.  From the article discussing the preparations for Governor General Johnston’s visit to Mexico, where he and other foreign dignitaries will join in swearing-in festivities for the swearing in of Mexico’s new president, Enrique Pena of the PRI:

But once the ceremony is over, Mr. Johnston’s hard work begins.

He said he intends to start by buttonholing several of the other 75 foreign leaders at the ceremony to discuss bilateral relations. Then, he’ll turn his attention to increasing two-way trade trade and investment. He also hopes to find more ways to share Canadian expertise in mining, justice, policing and governance.

He is travelling with a sizable entourage of senior officials, members of Parliament, business and education representatives, a judge and several ambassadors.

When he gets back, he’ll be reporting, in detail, straight to the prime minister. The two men speak and share ideas regularly, but after a foreign trip, Mr. Johnston has a formal responsibility to check in.

“When I come back, [I need to] be pretty candid and say, ‘Yep, this is going well,’ or, ‘No, this is not going well and here’s where we have to adjust our approaches,’” Mr. Johnston said.

The governor-general’s trip to Latin America should be the beginning of a larger Canadian attempt to revive its relationship with the region, Mr. Robertson said.

New DHS Initiative Catches Canadian Moose-Poachers.  From New Hampshire’s Nashua Telegraph:

Pittsburg [New Hampshire] shares approximately 56 miles of soft border with Canada; along the stretch are hundreds of Canadian hunting shacks and blinds. Some of the shacks are rudimentary, and others resemble elevated camps, fully equipped with propane heaters, cook stoves and sleeping bunks.

Thanks in part to a federal Homeland Security grant titled “Operation Stonegarden,” teams of officers conducted surveillance of several hunting shacks, as well as foot patrols on the border in the upper reaches of Hall Stream.